This Caribbean Salad is light, bright, fresh, and filled with vibrant produce and hearty grilled chicken! From the fresh pineapple to the sweet mandarin oranges to the earthy black beans to the crisp greens all tossed in a slightly sweet orange dressing, this tropical salad is bursting with flavor and will leave you feeling satisfied and nourished.
My Favorite Caribbean Chicken Salad
Through the years I have tried a lot of Caribbean salads–from chain restaurants to local cafes to taking cooking classes from chefs in St. Lucia and Jamaica.
Using those experiences along with readily available ingredients, I have created what I believe to be the best Caribbean Salad.
With zesty marinated chicken, earthy black beans, sweet mango, fresh pineapple and crisp bell peppers this salad is a vibrantly colored and filled with texture.
But what set this salad apart is the dressing! With a unique ingredient (spoiler alert: orange juice concentrate) and slightly spicy jerk seasoning, it is sweet, tangy, and marries the ingredients of this salad together in a way that will have you wanting to make this on repeat!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Salad Base: Opt for a mild green such as butter lettuce or romaine. I find spinach, kale, and spring mixes tend to overpower the other components.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs–or omit the chicken for a hearty and flavorful vegetarian salad.
- Black Beans: For additional protein, fiber, and earthy notes.
- Fruit/Veggies: Don’t feel like you have to use everything, but I recommend a combination of fresh ripe mango, fresh pineapple chunks, red bell pepper, and canned mandarin oranges for a medley of sweet, fresh flavor.
- Dressing: Made with orange juice concentrate (trust me on this–it adds the perfect touch of sweetness and fresh acidic flavor), rice vinegar, olive oil, honey, and jerk seasoning–it is sweet, tangy, spicy, and bright.
- For Crunch: Topping the salad with corn chips or tortilla strips, poppy seeds and sesame seeds adds a satisfying texture.
How to Make Caribbean Chicken Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Dressing/Marinade. The orange vinaigrette is used to not only dress the salad, but to marinate chicken. After combining the ingredients together in a small jar or bowl, remove ¼ cup of dressing to marinate the chicken, cover the remaining dressing, and refrigerate until ready to dress the salad.
- Marinate the Chicken. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or resealable storage bag. Pour the reserved dressing over chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Kristen’s Key Tip
Do not marinate the chicken longer than 2 hours, as the citrus in the marinade will begin to break down chicken, causing it to be mushy.
- Grill Chicken. Remove the chicken from marinade and place on preheated grill or grill pan. Grill for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
- Dress Greens. While the chicken is resting, toss the lettuce with a couple tablespoons of the dressing–this helps to really build layers of flavor without overdressing the salad.
- Assemble. Top the greens with black beans, diced pineapple, mango, red pepper, mandarin oranges, and diced chicken.
- Serve. Right before serving, add the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and tortilla strips/corn chips. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
Kristen’s Key Tips & Swaps
- Make it Vegetarian. Add extra black beans and omit the chicken. Faster while still being flavorful and filling.
- Use Leftovers. Instead of marinating and grilling chicken, top this Caribbean Salad with leftover grilled teriyaki chicken, shredded Instant Pot chicken, or leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Swap Out the Fruit. Use fresh, segmented mandarin oranges in place of canned, use canned pineapple tidbits in place of fresh pineapple, and/or omit a fruit if not in season or ripe.
- For Topping. If using tortilla strips, they are typically sold in the produce section or next to croutons a the grocery store. Corn chips or crushed-up tortilla chips work just as well. Sesame seeds and poppy seeds are optional as well.
More Delicious Chicken Salad Recipes
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In a small bowl whisk together, the ¼ cup pulp-free orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon jerk seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Slowly stream in the ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, while whisking until fully incorporated and emulsified. Remove ¼ cup of dressing to marinate the chicken, cover the remaining dressing and refrigerate until ready to dress the salad.
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Trim 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast of any fat or grizzle and place in a shallow dish or resealable storage bag. Pour ¼ cup of the reserved dressing over chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
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Preheat a grill to medium high or heat a grill plate over or grill pan to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is 165℉/74℃. Remove the chicken from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and then cube into bite-sized pieces.
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In a large serving bowl, combine the 2 heads romaine lettuce (chopped) with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Top the greens with 1 large ripe mango (diced), 1 cup fresh pineapple (diced), 1 (12 oz) can mandarin oranges (drained and rinsed), 1 medium red bell pepper (diced), and 1 (15 oz) can black beansdrained and rinsed), tossing to combine.
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Dish out individual servings and top each salad with a sprinkle of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and corn/tortilla chips as desired. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
Make it Vegetarian: Use 2 cans of black beans and omit the chicken. Delicious and hearty!
Storage: The assembled salad and dressing can be stored in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Wait to add poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and chips until right before serving.
Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 27gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 1011mgFiber: 4gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 14185IUVitamin C: 54.2mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 2.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2015 updated in 2025.
